Tough Love
by Kristen3
Summary: When David fears a monster in his closet, Daphne tries a new approach to get him to sleep. Post-series one-shot.


**Author's Note:**I'm dedicating this story to Andrea (iloveromance), because it was her Facebook post which planted the seed for this story! :) Also thanks to Leigh Ann (leighann415) for suggesting the title!

"Time to go to bed," Daphne said to her three-year-old son, David.

"No!" came the firm reply, along with a shake of the head.

Daphne tried not to sigh. For weeks David had been convinced that a monster lived inside his closet. Niles had calmly and rationally explained to their son that there was no monster. But still, David was adamant. When logic failed to change David's mind, Niles insisted on "tough love." He believed that simply leaving David in his room by himself would eventually force the preschooler to overcome his fear. But Daphne just couldn't do that. When she looked at her son, all she saw was a scared little boy. It tore at her heart. Niles had gone to bed early, leaving Daphne with the task of getting David to sleep. She kissed her son's cheek. "We've talked about this, David. There's no monster in your closet. You'll be perfectly safe in here."

David's expression did not change. His eyes remained fixed on the closet door. No matter what his mommy and daddy said, he knew there was a big, scary monster living in there!

Daphne was now desperate. She was tired, and in no mood to deal with closet monsters. Though she knew Niles would not approve, she decided to try a new approach. "All right, if you don't want to sleep in here, you don't have to. How about we go downstairs and watch some television instead?"

At this, David nodded enthusiastically. Anything so he wouldn't have to be in here, where the monster was watching his every move.

Daphne picked her son up, holding him close. She carried him downstairs to the living room. As she walked, she savored the feeling of his little-boy arms around her neck. Frasier was forever reminding her and Niles that their son would grow up before they knew it. Sometimes, Daphne felt like it was just yesterday that she'd gone into labor at the vet's office. And now, here they were, picking out pre-schools for him.

They got downstairs and sat on the fainting couch. Daphne was grateful that there were cable channels which played cartoons at all hours. She turned on one such channel, and soon David was singing along with his favorite characters. This may have gone against every parenting manual on the market, but at least David was happy. That alone made the whole thing worth it.

Daphne's plan had been to allow David to watch for a few minutes, until he fell asleep. Then she would simply return him to his room. A perfect solution. But, soon, Daphne found herself fighting to stay awake. She held out as long as she could. The music from the television, along with her son's delighted laughter, lulled her to sleep.

Niles was surprised when he reached over to Daphne's side of the bed. Instead of feeling his wife's body lying there next to him, all he felt was an empty space. Well, that was unusual. He got up, immediately walking toward David's room. No matter how much he protested, their son was usually asleep by now. But when he looked inside, neither David nor Daphne was there.

Feeling more confused than ever, Niles made his way downstairs. In the dark, it was difficult to see into the living room. But he noticed the flickering light of the TV. When he got closer, he saw a sight which warmed the very depths of his heart. There on the fainting couch lay Daphne, fast asleep. David was right next to her, also peacefully sleeping. Niles knew immediately that his wife had totally undermined his plan to train David to sleep on his own. Every logical part of his brain immediately came up with a dozen reasons for him to be angry. But the sight of the two people he loved most lying there next to one another was just too much. His anger didn't stand a chance. So, Niles quietly walked over to the linen closet. He pulled out the softest quilt he could find. He returned to the living room, carefully placing the blanket over the two of them. He turned off the TV, returning the house to a state of peaceful quiet.

"Goodnight, my love," Niles whispered as he kissed his wife's cheek. He kissed David's forehead as well before returning to his room. He crawled into bed, only then realizing how tired he actually was. His last thought before drifting off was that he was glad to have a wife who cared more for their son's happiness than following the advice of a qualified doctor. Even if that doctor happened to be her own husband.

**The End**


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